Bill Coulson

Thanks John, I'll keep a lookout.

Saw my first Wheatear of Spring yesterday in the quarry at Berry Head. Earlier than usual by five days.
Del and Mark D. reported a big fall of Chiffs seen earlier in the day when it was mistier. Good numbers still there later on.
Adders coming out with the sun, its good to see them again.

Just a couple more today John and both on Alexanders in the wood behind the B Hd Hotel.

Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva, a female, immobile, a picture of abject misery in the cold wet mist thats been over Brixham for days. 3 Weeks earlier than I've seen them before on Berry Head.
Alexanders about the only plant flowering yet so, thankfully, there is no sign yet of a general emergence.

Obs ID gives Lymantrichneumon disparis 100%. First found in UK at Broadwater Farm Sussex in 2013 so is a rare find. It has as yet no common name. Interesting find Nick perhaps you can get it confirmed?

Cetti's Warbler singing from a roadside bush near Strete Gate today in the Slapton Ley NNR. The male Reed Bunting in pic 2 is changing into summer plumage.

Common Dolphins off Berry Head this morning.
They were riding the large waves coming in towards the headland and were putting on a pretty good show.

Thanks Q. We get them in the garden every year, wonderful to see.

Hairy-footed Flower Bees Anthophora plumipes, all males, came out with the sun today. Pic 1 shows how extravagantly hairy their feet can be.
To see the best of early bees we planted Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
and the results have been spectacular.

Green Sandpipers, 3 of them together but slightly apart in Queens Marsh, Dartington, this afternoon. This little wetland is now looking good.

Absolute treat! Black-necked Grebe, well on its way to summer plumage. It kept Marc Millman and myself running back and forth between Shoalstone and the Brixham breakwater while it swam between the two and back again. Spotted and flagged up by Steph Murphy this morning - thanks.

Black Oil Beetle Meloe proscarabaeus

Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum

Black Oil Beetle Meloe proscarabaeus (blue form) wandering in Lesser Celandines at Coleton Fishacre NT yesterday. These flightless beetles feed on L. Celandine.
Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum (queen) also at Coleton Fishacre. Pratorum = latin "meadow/field", its usual habitat.

A pair of Goldeneye out on the middle section of Slapton Ley seen today from the traffic-free road. The male was going through regular courtship displays, lovely to see!

We planted Lungwort last year and this is just beginning to flower so fingers crossed!

I'm keeping a lookout for them here in S. Devon, nothing so far, but worry that there aren't enough flowers out yet to keep them going.

Harbour Porpoises feeding off Berry Head yesterday.
Boat activity was thankfully unusually low. Porpoises hate engine noise and are easily put off feeding. They require up to 10% of their body-weight to survive.
This Great Black-backed Gull bullied this Eel off an unlucky Shag.

Thanks Matt. It's a case of guesswork as to where they're going to surface. Millions of wasted pixcels!

Caspian Gull

Harbour Porpoise

Common Gull

Great Northern Diver

Interesting wildlife to be seen around Brixham:
Caspian Gull on the new jetty in Oxen Cove. Thanks Jake W. for the info.
Harbour Porpoises feeding around Berry Head yesterday as were several Common Gulls.
Great Northern Divers in the harbour at Brixham but numbers gradually declining.

Common Dolphins passing Berry Head 18th Feb 2023.

Black-throated Diver, Gavia arctica still in Brixham's inner harbour this evening. Easy to separate from the Great Northern Diver by its clean white throat without the GND's partial black collar and by the rear white "wheel arches" on its flanks.
A lovely sight as evening closed in.

Fulmar landed 2 metres away on my ledge at Berry Head! They're getting closer and closer. Am I just part of the furniture?
Great to hear a Cirl Bunting singing in the quarry.
Young Shag sunning itself and resting on the breakwater while two Purple Sandpipers were feeding below.

By the look of the hind-most leg this Great Northern Diver is swallowing a Velvet Crab. Unusual not to take the legs off the crab first as this GND at Berry Head is doing in pic 2.
A softer meal - a baby flatfish for this GND also at Berry Head.

Three Fulmars landed on the cliff underneath where I was sitting at Berry Head this morning.
Pic 1 shows the "tubenose", they're related to Albatrosses. The nasal tube is used to excrete saline solution.
Unexcelled flyers, gliding on stiff wings, a lovely sight.
Pic 4 a Fulmar conversation!

Caspian Gull yesterday and today in Brixham Harbour.
Shot 3 shows Casp standing tall amongst a throng of other gulls, picked out by Mike Langman as it was getting dark.
Great Northern Diver stretching its wings this morning.

Breathed a sigh of relief just to see our first Lesser Spotted Woodpecker surviving winter in Yarner Wood. It was up near the highest entrance gate from Trendlebeare.
Also saw several Marsh Tits, always a delight.

On a Stuart Line Cruise yesterday on the Exe Estuary ably led by Derek Carter. Red-breasted Mergansers and a Goldeneye were some of the highlights.

Little Gulls, first winter ones, finding food from the rough sea just north of the pier at Teignmouth this morning.
Difficult to count as they were flying up and down from the pier but at least three birds.
Underside of Little Gull in pic 3 has a pinkish hue?

Black-throated Diver in the harbour Brixham this morning. Nice clean white throat & white rear "wheel arches".
Caspian Gull on its favourite perch on the wavebreak.
On the beach a 4yr female Grey Seal named Wild Grey. She's been there 3 days already to moult. Red Tag visible from a previous rescue.

Marsh Harrier on the Southdown side of the valley at Mansands today. It put up about 10 snipe which flew around in a panic.

Gannets diving for baitfish today in Brixham harbour.
It was very wet and windy this afternoon and several Kittiwakes assembled on the breakwater wall. They were either full of little fish or just knackered from flying in this gale.